The invention relates to a device for cutting food such as fruit and vegetables, comprising a cutting part having several blades and an actuating part, said parts being mounted so that they can pivot counter to each other by means of a pivot bearing, and the actuating part is pressed against the cutting part in order to cut the food to be cut, and comprising a lid part that is affixed onto a collecting container for the cut food, whereby the lid part has an opening with a passage for the cut food. The invention also relates to a multi-functional device for the kitchen.
Devices for cutting fruit and vegetables are generally known. They normally have a cutting part fitted with several blades and a counterpart, said parts being mounted so that they can pivot counter to each other. The food to be cut is located between the cutting part and the counterpart. In order for the food to be cut, the cutting part is pressed against the counterpart or conversely, the counterpart is pressed against the cutting part. The counterpart usually has a plunger element that, during the cutting procedure, serves to push the food to be cut through the cutting part. For this purpose, the plunger element normally has indentations into which the blades of the cutting part are lowered during the cutting procedure. A high cutting force can be generated with cutting devices that function according to this pivoting principle since, depending on the design, either the cutting part or the counterpart functions like a lever. For this reason, cutting devices that function according to the pivoting principle are particularly well-suited for cutting hard food such as, for example, carrots or potatoes.
It has been found in actual practice that the cutting devices that function according to the pivoting principle have a tendency to tip over sideways during the cutting procedure, especially when the food to be cut is hard, as a result of which a high cutting force has to be applied. This tendency to tip over sideways is especially promoted by the elongated shape of the cutting devices due to the their pivoting functional parts that function like a lever, as a result of which the cutting devices often exhibit an inadequate footprint in the crosswise direction. Owing to the tendency to tip over, the prior-art cutting devices that function according to the pivoting principle are not always easy to handle.
French patent of invention FR 747 115 A discloses a device for cutting potatoes. The device has a cutting part fitted with blades and an actuating part, said parts being mounted so that they can pivot counter to each other. In order for the food to be cut, the actuating part is pressed against the cutting part and then, when it is in the pivoted position, it comes to rest on the cutting part. The spaces between the blades of the cutting part form a passage for the cut food that is pressed down through the blades during the cutting procedure. The cut food is captured in a collecting container on which the cutting part rests. The collecting container is open towards the top and essentially encompasses the area of the blades. The cutting part projects over the collecting container, at least with its one end that is pivotably connected to the actuating part. It is also possible for the opposite end of the cutting part to project over the collecting container. Due to these sections of the cutting part that extend over the collecting container, the prior-art cutting device has a tendency to tip over sideways during the cutting procedure, especially when the food to be cut is hard, since a high cutting force has to be applied for this purpose.
German utility model DE 21 2005 000 048 U1 discloses another device for cutting food. This device has a cutting part fitted with blades and an actuating part that is pressed against the cutting part in order to cut the food that is to be cut. The cutting part is an integral part of a lid that is placed onto a container that collects the cut food. In this cutting device, the actuating part and the collecting container are mounted so that they can pivot counter to each other with the cutting part interposed between them. Towards this end, there are pivot pins on the sides of the collecting container and they extend into corresponding receptacles on the actuating part, thus forming a hinge. The actuating part also has a surrounding side wall facing downwards that extends laterally over the lid when the cutting device is in the folded state. The collecting container is configured as a cube, whereby the longitudinal axes of the lid, the cutting part and the actuating part lie in the lengthwise direction of the collecting container. As a result, this prior-art cutting device likewise has a tendency to tip over sideways during the cutting procedure.